Following on from another summer of managerial change, St Mirren fans seem to be getting much-needed stability under the guidance of Jim Goodwin.
A hugely popular figure during his time as a player with Saints, Goodwin was lured back to Paisley following on from the departure of Oran Kearney to Coleraine, just one month after guiding the team to Scottish Premiership safety courtesy of a penalty shootout victory over Dundee United.
The story so far
The Buddies have kept things tight at the back in the league so far this season. In fact, they have the best defensive record outside of Celtic and Rangers, having conceded six goals in seven games.
That hasn’t translated too much into results, however, with one win, two draws and four defeats so far putting them 1oth in the division.
Form guide
Goodwin’s men have drawn their last two matches 0-0, off the back of three defeats.
Their last win came at home in August, when Aberdeen were defeated 1-0 in Paisley.
How they shaped up last time
St Mirren lined up in a 4-4-2 formation in their 0-0 draw with Hearts last time out. They kept the same starting team from the one that also held Hamilton 0-0 the week previous.
Three to watch
Vaclav Hladky
Czech stopper Vaclav Hladky was a pivotal figure in ensuring St Mirren’s Scottish Premiership safety last term.
The 28-year-old enjoyed a fantastic first five months in Paisley, highlighted by his display in the Premiership play-off final in which he saved penalties from Peter Pawlett, Paol Safranko and Callum Booth as Dundee United failed to convert a single effort from the spot.
During the summer Azerbaijani champions Qarabag reportedly bid £200,000 for the keeper, though Saints were able to stave off interest in their highly rated star who is aiming to make it three successive clean sheets this afternoon.
Kyle McAllister
After returning to St Mirren on a six-month loan deal in January, Kyle McAllister showed all of the qualities that led to Derby splashing out £225,000 to take the midfielder from Paisley to the Midlands in 2017.
He scored three times in 12 appearances, including the crucial opener in Saints’ 2-0 victory over Hamilton in their penultimate league fixture.
In early August, McAllister would return on a permanent basis and has featured in every match since. The draws with Hamilton and Hearts have seen the winger restricted to appearances from the bench, though with goals at a premium for the Buddies, McAllister will be hoping to be unleashed from the start at Fir Park today.
Kyle Magennis
Kyle Magennis has shown maturity beyond his 21 years as he’s pulled on the captain’s armband in the absence of Stephen McGinn.
A graduate of the Saints academy and a Scotland U21 internationalist, Magennis has accumulated 79 appearances so far in black and white scoring nine goals.
Magennis possesses many attacking qualities, especially his ability to power forward and deliver a dangerous cross or powerful shot, this is shown in his one v one dribbling attempts per match. He currently is third in the Premiership with an average of 10 every game, Sherwin Seedorf is second with 10.23.